TOP GUN

     Saturday:  Hammer it off the line.  Break right, then back left as the pavement drops off over the bump.  On the gas in the lane, remember to set up left for a 90 degree right into the shade of the building.  Gather the car up and grab a gear, the track bottoms and bears left.  Trail brake into a 120 degree left and stand on it hard.  Not too much, though, because as you exit the next left you lose road camber and transition into a loose off-camber right immediately into a Chicago box that’s faster than it looks.  Down a gear out of the box, hard downhill into a very tight 180, then back up into a right hand sweeper with a pinched exit onto a sorta straight, but it turns into a left-right switch over a dip in the track only to unload the car into another brake-wiggle section before a final mini-sweeper to the left.  In 101 degree heat.  Four runs.

Sunday:  Repeat as necessary with minor alterations, only backwards, so reverse all entry, apex, and exit strategies.  Slightly shorter and faster course.  In 101 degree heat.  Four runs.

Do that with over four dozen of your closest competitors and you’ve experienced Top Gun, an autocross trial by fire (well, it was hot!).  Fun, huh?

     Damn right it was fun!  Nearly 400 competition runs in two days in those conditions is a challenge, and drivers from Idaho, Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, Billings, East Helena, Columbia Falls, Stevensville, Florence, etc, all met the challenge.

     Cumulative results (Saturday and Sunday times added) follow this story, but the times don’t tell the story properly or in enough detail.  Stick with me, here.

     Dave Ebert has the nicest umbrella and the coolest squeeze-horn, but Jim Arnett has programmed the theme from Star Wars into his high-tech air-powered T/A horn.  Ed Austin didn’t get lost.  Bob Stevenson (you know, the course designer?) did.  Fudgesickles are good in the heat.  Justin Hickman won the drive-while-laughing-hysterically trophy in the low-rider Monty.  The two ZO6’s finished .735 of a second apart on cumulative time after 8 runs.  Peter Hern beat his dad, Rick, by about 1.8 seconds over two days.  Some other close finishes were mere tenths away from each other over the two days.  Pizza is speed food!  Ever notice that Wolf’s Saab sounds like a fart when it hits the wastegate at the top of first gear?  Jim Messick makes his children actually cheer for him.  Anita, Judi, and Ev were voted most tolerant and helpful.  Tom Masterson drives a mean fork lift.  Bruce Schlaebitz is fast, smart, and terrific help.  The Gillilands are not really considering air-conditioning their car; they just don’t spend too much time in when it’s hot.  Thanks to all (apologies for not specifically mentioning every one of the wonderful volunteer helpers; it’s the heat!) for a most memorable weekend.

     Cumulative results:

A Production

1^st   Namen Paul, Great Falls, Firebird, 2:00.006

A Sedan

1^st   Jason Rukavina, Great Falls, Monte Carlo, 2:09.317

2^nd   Justin Hickman, Great Falls, Monte Carlo, 2:14.722 

B Production

1^st   Tim Helms, Great Falls, Fiero, 1:54.747

2^nd  Tom Masterson, Great Falls, Porsche 911, 2:01.077

3^rd  Ed Austin, Great Falls, Mazda RX7, 2:09.725

B Sedan

1^st  Zack Gilmor, Great Falls, Contour, 2:02.388

C Production

1^st  James Rowan, Great Falls, Honda CRX, 1:56.986

2^nd  Jim Messick, Great Falls, VW Golf, 2:01.038

3^rd  Warren Fisher, Coeur d’Alene, Audi, 2:01.312

4^th  David Thurston, Great Falls, Plymouth Conquest, 2:07.137

C Sedan

1^st  Dave Wilcox, Missoula, Subaru Legacy, 1:59.924

2^nd  Peter Kern, Missoula, Dodge Neon, 2:01.660

3^rd  Rick Kern, Missoula, Dodge Neon, 2:03.496

4^th  Galen Smith, Great Falls, VW Scirocco, 2:05.219

5^th  Larry Meinzen, Missoula, Subaru Legacy, 2:08.208

6^th  Jamie Wilkins, East Helena, Honda Accord, 2:08.992

7^th  Julie Wilkins, East Helena, Honda Accord, 2:14.737

GT-1

1^st  Jim Arnett, Billings, Trans-Am, 1:49.725

2^nd  Jerry Rukavina, Great Falls, Camaro, 1:52.818

3^rd  Steve Nutter, Great Falls, Maverick, 1:55.453

4^th  Bob Stevenson, Great Falls, Mustang, 1:56.969

5^th  Kent Yoder, Great Falls, Camaro, 1:58.236

6^th  Dennis Figarelle, Great Falls, Camaro, 1:58.838

7^th  Kelly Rolfe, Great Falls, Camaro, 1:59.163

GT-2

1^st  Clint Houge, Great Falls, Mazda RX3, 1:54.925

2^nd  Rick Cummings, Great Falls, Mercury Capri, 1:59.337

GT-3

1^st  Gary Wolf, Great Falls, Saab Aero, 1:48.892

2^nd  Mike Williams, Missoula, VW Scirocco, 1:55.039

3^rd  Bob Morin, Great Falls, Totota Celica, 1:55.717

4^th  Russ Wilson, Great Falls, Toyota Celica, 1:59.422

GT-S

1^st  Dean Mikes  Missoula, Corvette ZO6, 1:48.211

2^nd  Jason Roan, Helena, Corvette ZO6, 1:48.946

3^rd  Tracy Amt, Stevensville, Corvette, 1:56.714

Prepared 1

1^st  Walter Davis, Stevensville, Mustang, 2:01.607

2^nd  Jeff Miklautsch, Florence, Mustang, 2:05.283

Prepared 2

1^st  Randy Cheney, Columbia Falls, Porsche 930, 2:06.958

Prepared 3

1^st  Rico Salvino, Missoula, Subaru Imprezza, 1:51.685

2^nd  Bruce Schlaebitz, Missoula, Toyota MR2, 1:53.244

3^rd  Shawn Padina, Great Falls, VW GTI, 1:58.086

Modified

1^st place  Dwight Gilliland, Billings, Avenger MK 3, 1:33.887  FAST TIME OF DAY BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, $25 per day for his quickness!

2^nd  Kristi Gilliland, Billings, Avenger MK3, 1:42.303

One-day participants (Sunday-not eligible for the overall two-day total):

B Production

Allison Goodspeed, Great Falls, Fiero, 1:01.791

Joe Goodspeed, Great Falls, Fiero, 1:03.952

C Production

John Weinzettel, Honda CRX, 0:57.433

Kyle Figarelle, Great Falls, Porsche 944, 1:01.191

C Sedan

Drew Lovec, Great Falls, ?, 1:07.742

Jamie Crock, Great Falls, ?, 1:09.191

Modified

Dave Ebert, Billings, Phantom F4-J, 0:57.232

Prepared 1

Dave Cooley, Great Falls, Porsche 928, 0:55.916

Prepared 2

Mike Taylor, Great Falls, Mazda RX7, 1:04.263

Ron Walker, Great falls, Mazda RX7, 1:07.105

Prepared 3

James Schneider, Great Falls, Porsche 968, 0:55.656

     Whew!  A final huge thanks for our sponsors, for whom we are so grateful:

                      SoFast Internet Service

                      Bumper-to-Bumper Auto Parts

                      Pizza Hut

                      Ike and Susan’s Lounge and Casino

                      Identity Screen Printing and Embroidery

      There are not five finer businesses in Great falls.  Go!  Shop/eat/drink/and use their services.  Say thank you to folks who care about motorsports!

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

NEW BREAKING NEWS!

     Next club meeting is this Thursday, July 31, at 7:30 PM at the tenth avenue south Hardees.  Please be there to discuss the rest of the season and this coming weekend!

      Saturday, August 2, Demo Derby time.  If you have not called Jim Messick at 268-1742 yet to volunteer, you need to.  Your services will be needed!  Tech inspection, the Herby Derby, and the main event will all need your help.  When Jim calls, say, “YES”!

      Our make-up event that was scheduled for August 3 at the old Buttrey’s Warehouse has been cancelled.  The Missoula club has rented the Helena Regional Airport site for the 3^rd, so it would only be a beautiful 90 mile drive/tow for us to get there and compete.  So our event has been scrubbed to allow us to compete (their national SCCA classification rules, not a points event for this club) with them instead.  Hope to see you there!  We will likely convoy out of Great Falls early Sunday at 6:30 or so, but more conversation will be had at the meeting on Thursday.

     This club still has an ExpoPark points event on the calendar for the 17^th of August, but that, too, may be discussed on the 31^st.  The Black Otter Hillclimb is in Billings on the 16^th and 17^th.  Lots to do and plan for!

     Need more information?  Call Ed Austin at 452-1135 or Jerry Rukavina at 761-4357.  Much more later in the next issue.  Lots to discuss and talk about.  Rules, officer elections, lotsa stuff!